A new study being presented this week at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting found that tablet and smartphone use by babies and toddlers correlates with a speech delay. Researchers at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children assessed 894 children from six months to two years. By their 18-month checkup, children who were on tablets or smartphones for 30 minutes or more a day had a 49 percent increased chance of delayed expressive speech.
The researchers used a checklist (a validated speech delay screening tool) to see if the children who had regular time on a tablet or smartphone used sounds or words to get attention or help and, if so, how many words they used and how they put them together. Catherine Birken, MD, the study’s principal investigator says:
“Handheld devices are everywhere these days,... While new pediatric guidelines suggest limiting screen time for babies and toddlers, we believe that the use of smartphones and tablets with young children has become quite common. This is the first study to report an association between handheld screen time and increased risk of expressive language delay.”
The study supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for no screen time for children 18 months and younger. However, the AAP guidelines allow for use of high-quality programming watched with a parent or caregiver for toddlers 18 months to 2 years. I believe this most recent study points to why screen time for kids under 24 months is not a good idea. There is substantial evidence that shows language is learned much better with human-to-human than with a computer.
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Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
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A new study being presented this week at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting found that tablet and smartphone use by babies and toddlers correlates with a speech delay. Researchers at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children assessed 894 children from six months to two years. By their 18-month checkup, children who were on tablets or smartphones for 30 minutes or more a day had a 49 percent increased chance of delayed expressive speech.
The researchers used a checklist (a validated speech delay screening tool) to see if the children who had regular time on a tablet or smartphone used sounds or words to get attention or help and, if so, how many words they used and how they put them together. Catherine Birken, MD, the study’s principal investigator says:
“Handheld devices are everywhere these days,... While new pediatric guidelines suggest limiting screen time for babies and toddlers, we believe that the use of smartphones and tablets with young children has become quite common. This is the first study to report an association between handheld screen time and increased risk of expressive language delay.”
The study supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for no screen time for children 18 months and younger. However, the AAP guidelines allow for use of high-quality programming watched with a parent or caregiver for toddlers 18 months to 2 years. I believe this most recent study points to why screen time for kids under 24 months is not a good idea. There is substantial evidence that shows language is learned much better with human-to-human than with a computer.
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A new study being presented this week at the 2017 Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting found that tablet and smartphone use by babies and toddlers correlates with a speech delay. Researchers at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children assessed 894 children from six months to two years. By their 18-month checkup, children who were on tablets or smartphones for 30 minutes or more a day had a 49 percent increased chance of delayed expressive speech.
The researchers used a checklist (a validated speech delay screening tool) to see if the children who had regular time on a tablet or smartphone used sounds or words to get attention or help and, if so, how many words they used and how they put them together. Catherine Birken, MD, the study’s principal investigator says:
“Handheld devices are everywhere these days,... While new pediatric guidelines suggest limiting screen time for babies and toddlers, we believe that the use of smartphones and tablets with young children has become quite common. This is the first study to report an association between handheld screen time and increased risk of expressive language delay.”
The study supports the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for no screen time for children 18 months and younger. However, the AAP guidelines allow for use of high-quality programming watched with a parent or caregiver for toddlers 18 months to 2 years. I believe this most recent study points to why screen time for kids under 24 months is not a good idea. There is substantial evidence that shows language is learned much better with human-to-human than with a computer.
Hobbies offer benefits at every age, from helping children build a sense of self to giving retirees a renewed sense of purpose. The word traces back to the 1400s as a nickname for a small horse, later evolving into today's meaning of a pastime pursued for its own sake. Parents can spark interest by sharing their own hobby histories, building a family-history hobby list, and trying new activities together. Summer is an ideal time to lean into offline hobbies as an antidote to screen saturation.
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When kids break a rule, most parents default to handing down a consequence. But research on autonomy-supportive parenting shows that inviting kids to help decide the consequence leads to deeper learning, stronger accountability, and even kinder behavior toward others. Younger kids tend to overpunish themselves while teens often go easy, and both create natural openings for parents to guide the conversation. The goal isn't softer consequences. It's consequences that actually teach.
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Kids with ADHD benefit most when parents provide support at the exact moment behavior happens, a science-backed approach called "point of performance." Abruptly shifting from high-stimulation screen time to demanding tasks creates a "dopamine cliff," a brain chemistry drop that often shows up as resistance and conflict. Understanding both concepts helps parents smooth those transitions and build real skills and confidence in their kids over time.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
